Phil Tech Syllabus

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PHIL 4380: Philosophy of Technology

Syllabus

Spring 2010

Course Information

Phil 4380 Philosophy of Technology

Fall 2009 T/R 4:00pm5:15pm

Contact Information

Professor Matthew J. BrownEmail Address [email protected] Phone 9728832536Office Location JO 5.708Office Hours Tuesday/Thursday 12pm and by appointment.

Teaching Assistant Lilian Calles BargerEmail Address [email protected] Location JO 5.410-OD

Office Hours Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restric-tions

This course is an upper-level course in the humanities, and presupposes the basicskills of reading, analyzing, and writing at an academic level. No particularknowledge of philosophy or technology is presupposed, but students unused toreading and writing about difficult, sometimes fairly technical material are urgedto consult with the professor early and often.

Course Description

The goal of this course is to teach you to think critically about the nature oftechnology and its role in our lives and our society. In part this requires instillinga healthy skepticism about two common, unreflective positions on technology:(1) the fanatical techno-boosterism of many science and technology magazines,in which technology is seen as the key to heaven on earth, and (2) a knee-jerk,slack-jawed, doom-and-gloom luddism and technology-bashing. While there

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is much to appreciate and much to be critical of in modern technology, bothappreciation and criticism ought to be thoughtful and well-grounded.

This course will focus on four major sets questions: (1) What is technology?How do we define it, study it, understand its relation to nature and humanity?(2) What is the relation of science to technology? Are they wholly distinct,or are modern science technology best understood under the shared heading oftechnoscience. What can we learn about one from the other? (3) What is theimpact of technology on society and ethics? How should we think about thisimpact? Where is technology beneficial, and where is it problematic? (4) Whatis the impact of technology on human lives, ordinary, cognitive, and aesthetic?Does it degrade or improve? Does it make us smarter or hold us back? Do artand technology serve fundamentally different goals, or do they have importantfeatures in common?

This course should, I believe, satisfy the same requirements as HIST 3337or 3374 for ATEC majors. As always, check with your advisor on such matters.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students will analyze and interpret a significant body of primary works in phi-losophy of technology.

Students will develop their ability to read, analyze, and write about complextexts.

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major questions and traditionsin the philosophy of technology.

Students will reflect on the socially responsible creation and use of technol-ogy, and create a project to further that end.

Students will be able to critically analyze and discuss the nature of, value

of, and challenges to technology as an intellectual and cultural institution.

Textbooks and Materials

Required

Codes in [brackets] used in reading assignments.

Technology and Values: Essential Readings, ed. Craig Hanks [TV] Mitcham, Thinking Through Technology [M] Hickman, Philosophical Tools for Technological Culture [H] Ray Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines [K] Electronic reserves at http://utdallas.docutek.com/eres/ [ER]

Suggested

Scharff & Van Dusek, Philosophy of Technology: The Technological Con-dition

Kaplan, Readings in Philosophy of Technology

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Grading Policy

Graded Assignments

Your grade will depend on the following assignments (dates are approximate):

Class Participation (10%) Your intellectual contribution to class discussionsand to close readings of the text undertaken in class.

Midterm Exam ( 2/18) (20%) In-class, format to be discussed at least aweek prior.

Research Paper ( 3/11) (25%) Assignment to be given during first 4 weeks.Contribution to some major debate in the philosophy of technology, re-quiring outside research.

Group Project and Presentation ( 4/13) (25%) In groups of 14, youwill do something to promote socially responsible technology. You willwrite a 300500 word summary of your project, and give a brief in-classpresentation. Your project will be evaluated according to effort, informed-ness (theoretical and practical), effectiveness, and creativity.

Final Exam (5/6) (20%) In-class, format to be discussed at least a week prior.

Evaluation Standards

The following is a clarification for the purposes of this course of the Universitysofficial policy with respect to grading standards.

An A grade indicates excellent work. A work has something to say andsays it well. It displays a subtle and nuanced understanding of the text,develops arguments clearly and effectively, and reflects insightfully on thecourse material. It often rises above other work in terms of creativity andsophistication, or it may add something valuable to the discussion thatgoes beyond merely fulfilling the letter of the requirements. Only few,minor mistakes are present.

A B grade indicates good work. Such work displays a clear understandingof the text, develops arguments consistently towards a clear claim, and isthoughtful and careful. The presence of serious errors must not impair theclarity of an argument or the overall understanding of a text. B work isin many ways successful, but lacks the sophistication or originality of Awork.

A C grade indicates adequate work. It shows an adequate understandingof the key parts of the text. Arguments aim at a central claim, thoughthey may rely on unsupported or insufficiently developed ideas. Moreserious errors may be present, so long as the central claims and basicunderstandings are not undermined.

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Work which deserves a grade less than C will display some of the followingproblems: it fails to show adequate understanding of the text; it fails to

understand the assignment; it fails to articulate a coherent or adequateargument; it fails to reflect on the content of the course; it displays suchpervasive grammatical errors as to be highly obscure in meaning.

+/- grades will be assigned

Course & Instructor Policies

A Word About Note-Taking & Classroom Technology

Extensive note-taking in class is strongly discouraged, especially in those partsof class meetings that are not primarily lecture-based. Taking good notes is no

guarantee of good performance in the course, and taking extensive notes caninterfere with activities that make a greater contribution to your performance:listening, consulting the text, and participating in class discussion.

For this reason, there should be no reason to bring laptop or handheld com-puter to class. Doing so will be frowned upon, unless some special need requiresit (in that case, speak to me privately about your concern).

Late Work / Make-up Exams

No late work or make-up exams will be allowed without consent of the profes-sor prior to the due/exam date, except in situations where University policyrequires it.

Class AttendanceWhile reading and writing are crucial parts of the course, the central philosophi-cal activity is live discussion. While class will occasionally involve bits of lecture,this is merely an instrument to a more well-informed discussion. Attendance isthus considered mandatory.

Classroom expectations

You are expected to have read the assignments before class, and it would be toyour benefit to also read them again after class. You are expected to bring allof the texts assigned for each days class, and have them available to refer to.You are expected to listen respectfully to the professor and your fellow students,

and participate in class discussions and activities.

Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to: [email protected] or call the UTD Helpdesk at 972 8832911.

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Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regu-lations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of eachstudent and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulationswhich govern student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct anddiscipline is contained in the UTD printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to allregistered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures ofrecognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rulesand Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, and inTitle V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the universitys Handbook of OperatingProcedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office ofthe Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting therules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/8836391) and online athttp://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities ofcitizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the RegentsRules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for

violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, orwhether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the workdone by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a highstandard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subjectto discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collu-sion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or inpart to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to giveunfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and fromany other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the universitys policy on

plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com,which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the makingof photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software.Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyrightowners rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well ascriminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate whenthat usage constitutes fair use under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, youare required to follow the institutions copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.346). Formore information about the fair use exemption, seehttp://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication be-tween faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises someissues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The uni-versity encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a students U.T.Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if itoriginates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree

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of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmit-ted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in

all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources atU.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to otheraccounts. Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-levelcourses. These dates and times are published in that semesters course catalog. Adminis-tration procedures must be followed. It is the students responsibility to handle withdrawalrequirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. Youmust do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of F in acourse if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activ-ities, of the universitys Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or otherfulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious

effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee withwhom the grievance originates (hereafter called the respondent). Individual faculty membersretain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot beresolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with acopy of the respondents School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written responseprovided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. Ifthe grievance is not resolved by the School Deans decision, the student may make a writtenappeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint andconvene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final.The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Deanof Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules andregulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missedat the semesters end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incompletegrade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent longsemester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade isnot submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to agrade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunitiesequal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in theStudent Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday andWednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is: The University of Texas atDallas, SU 22 PO Box 830688 Richardson, Texas 750830688 (972) 8832098 (voice or TTY)[email protected]

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet

with the Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways toensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-relatedaccommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with DisabilityServices to notify them of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Disability Servicescan then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations.

It is the students responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an ac-commodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members

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to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiringspecial accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activitiesfor the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worshipare exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possibleregarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time afterthe absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. Astudent who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may notbe penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment withinthe prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purposeof observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the studenthas been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either

the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of theinstitution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take intoaccount the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide bythe decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to

change at the discretion of the Professor.

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Documents

Phil Tech Syllabus